Introduction:
We as Christians have to be ever so careful who we associate ourselves with. We have to be careful who we allow to be in our space. We even have to be careful who we allow in our homes. My father would always say, Watch your friends and your enemies can’t hurt you. Sometimes your own family members are the ones you have to keep at bay. One thing that I have learned in this thing called life is that everybody standing in your corner is not in your corner. Putting a footnote here, that brings me to my first and only point for this morning.
Development:
First Point: Smiling Faces Tell Lies
When I think of the story of Samson and Delilah, I can’t help but wonder what was Samson thinking? When you’re deep in sin, you can’t think right. When you’re deep in sin, you can’t reason right.
Sin has blinded your thinking and reasoning. Samson was truly messed up. First of all he was involved with a women he truly had no business. He was hooked up with a harlot, better known as a prostitute.
Her name was Delilah. She was convinced by the five Philistine Lords to betray Samson. She was using what she had to ge the information that she needed. They told Delilah to get it out of him. They told her it would be rather kind to do this thing for them and she would be rewarded handsomely for her service.
For this they bided high. They each promised to give her 1100 pieces of silver, which would be 5500 pieces in all. So many shekels amounted to above 1000l. Look at what money can do to a person. She was hired to pretend that she loved Samson. Oh for the love of money. 1 Titus 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s, all because of the love of money.
Our blessed Saviour was betrayed by one whom he called friend, and with a kiss too, for filthy lucre.
She used what she had to get Samson to reveal his secret. In actuality, both of them were lying to each other.
#1: Samson said if you tie me with 7 fresh thongs, I would loose my strength. Now thongs were the leather strings used to tie their sandals with. When Samson went to sleep, she called for the Philistine soldiers, and Samson immediately awoke. He killed the soldiers.
She badgered him about not telling her the truth. Samson grew tired of the badgering and he said:
#2: Samson said to Delilah if you tie with fresh rope, I would be as helpless as a baby. So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads, and he killed the soldiers a second time.
Delilah continued with the badgering.
#3: Samson said to her if you were to tie my seven braids of hair into the fabric on the loom and make it tight with a pin, I would become weak. She waited until Samson was asleep and so while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric and tightened it with the pin.
Again she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric. When Samson went to sleep, she called for the Philistine soldiers, and Samson immediately awoke. He killed the soldiers.
Delilah was furious. She said you made a fool out of me three time. She really poured it on strong this time. She said if you really love me you will tell me. She got out the sweet smelling candles, some of that insidious perfume, and some strong drink (according to some theologians), and with the lights being dimmed, this was the night.
Samson, giving into the badgering, he told his long kept secret. He shared with her that if his head was ever shaved, he would loose his strength. She got Samson like she wanted him. He was in a deep sleep, she signaled for one of the Philistine soldiers, he came in and shaved his head.
Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, " I’ll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him.
Not knowing what had happened to him, he just knew that he would be able to easily take down the Philistine soldiers as before. When the soldiers grabbed Samson, he immediately knew what had happened.
Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison.
Conclusion:
Even though Samson messed up, God still gave him another chance. Samson prayed to God for forgiveness.
Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, "Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands."
While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.
When they stood him among the pillars, Samson said to the servant who held his hand, "Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them."
Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me.
O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
The same way God forgave Samson, He will do the same thing for you. I know this is true, because when I look at Calvary’s cross which hung the Hill of the Skull, I see forgiveness, I see redemption, and I see hope. But on the third day, Jesus the Christ got up with all power in His hands.
